MEDICAID

Increased Medicaid funding for nursing homes approved

Increased Medicaid funding was approved in Florida. The state’s $112 billion state budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year was approved, as lawmakers included a 7.8% increase in Medicaid funding for nursing homes. That amounts to an additional $293 million in funding, or about $419,000 per facility. The state’s new fiscal year starts July 1.

Florida Governor DeSantis said the hope is that the increase will allow nursing homes to increase hourly pay rates for certified nursing assistants.

LEGAL

Esther’s Law Brings Transparency and Accountability to Elder Care

A new level of transparency began last Wednesday in Ohio nursing homes – cameras in residents’ rooms.

It’s called Esther’s Law, and it’s been in the works for nearly a decade by a man who caught abuse first-hand with a hidden camera. “The cameras are not to catch abuse,” Piskor told 3News. “The cameras are to stop abuse.”

The law requires:
– residents to pay for and install the cameras.
– A sign present upon entering, giving notice of the surveillance.
– Consent to be given by any other resident in the room.

BEST PRACTICES

Excelas Attracts and Retains Top Talent

Excelas’ corporate culture is one reason we continue to win workplace awards, year after year. And, as many companies have learned over the past two years, operating with a remote workforce can have it challenges. Excelas, LLC strives to stay connected through monthly meetings and trainings, as well as with engagement events. We are also implementing “Stay Interviews” in 2022.